13 September ’04, Monday. You just can’t imagine the beautiful scenery as we travel from Salzburg, Austria on to Bled, Slovenia. All the pictures that we’ve seen of the Austrian Alps with the beautiful green grass of the Alpine meadows are all true….
It wasn’t long after leaving Salzburg that we came to our first tunnel. Now let me tell you, these people know how to build tunnels. They not only know how to build them, they have built them short and really long. We went through at least 10 before we got to the Slovenia border. One of them was close to 5 miles long. We also went over the highest pass I have ever driven on…over 7800 feet. That is about 3 times higher than Snoqualmie Pass….and “Bumble Bee” was a champ, she may not have been fast, but she had guts… We were very fortunate to have a bright and sunny day for this incredible day of driving. I opted for the “autobahn”, but there were many times that we looked down on the winding and twisting roadway below and wished we could be there. It went through all the little villages across the Alps. Each one, a picture postcard of it’s own merit. One other reason for going the “lower road” was the toll they charge on the “Autobahn”. We had to pay twice…$9.50 the 1st time and $5.50 the 2nd. That was pretty expensive, but the road, tunnels, and the long slow winding bridges were pretty nice…. As we finally made our way out of the high passes of the higher Alps, we turned right off the autobahn and into the little village of “Bled”. We are now at the edge of the Triglav National Park, and in the Julian Alps. The first thing that you see as you finish winding down the two lane roadway from the autobahn, is this magnificent lake. It is really hard to explain, except that it is the most crystal clear lake I have ever seen. And right out there in the middle is this wonderful island that has a picture perfect church on it. Next, looking down from high on the rock cliff above the lake is the Bled Castle. It made it’s appearance in the 12th century and continues to Wow every visitor to Bled. The village of Bled is small and fits tight to the southeast corner of the shoreline. The restaurants have the tables with their beautiful umbrellas situated so that you can enjoy all the lake has to offer while you sip your favorite afternoon drink. Our campground is on the far end of the lake, and when we arrived, we are taken back….we have found another that we will not forget. It is very nice to say the least… The first thing we did after pulling on the brake, was to go down to the lake and take the trail to town. It took us about 20 minutes to walk into town on this wonderful, picturesque trail. This was just an exploring type of walk, so after having a small glass of wine we continued around the lake and towards the campgrounds. Well you know how it is when you see someone taking a picture of their spouse… well, “Can I take the picture of the two of you???”. That’s how we met the Klein’s’ from Scottsdale. Peter, I never did ask you about “Wine Interests” from your personal card… We have met 2 more “Travelers”…those that really like to visit the world… Tomorrow….Bled

Hoping to get an early breakfast and some internet time in Ceský Kromlov, we were out of the shower and on the road by 9am. Now last time we were in this internet café, I was able to use my computer….today….NO !!! This didn’t make me very happy… So, we left and had a brunch on the road. Now on our last trip through here in June, we stopped at Studánky. This little town is what you might call a border town, as it sits within a mile of the Czech – Austrian border. Just by chance, last time we had lunch at this little roadside restaurant and it turned out to be one of “The Best” we had in Czecha….so, guess were we had brunch??? 2 different kinds of Kraut, 2 different types of dumplings (2 ea), and a large cut of pork….Rick, eat your heart out !!!
Heck, I just may drive the 90 miles back there for to nights dinner… Naw, reality is, we are now in Salzburg and again staying in the same campground that we stayed in last June. Rick, remember the meals here ??? and, oh yes, the famous beer mug ???
Lou and Drew, remember what you did on the riverboat ???
Ok, enough of the past, now on to what is now…Louise is asleep and feels like she is coming down with the first cold since our first month on this journey. I’ll let her sleep it off if possible.
Tomorrow….new territory ….Bled, Slowenien (Slovenia)

6 July ’04, Tuesday. We had been soooo lucky, but last night ended all that. It turned out to be “mosquito” night and we were the targets….. Lil Louise was the lucky one and she only got one bite, sting, or what ever a mosquito does. The rest of us certainly made up for that and we have all the itchy little bumps to prove it. The rest of the Chouinard family ran like heck just after dinner. I had a chance to barbecue chicken and Grandma made a great potato salad. It was really good even if I must say so…. We woke about 7:30 and the sky was a little cloudy but the sun was going to make it’s self known soon. Lou slept on the floor of the tent and really slept soundly all the way through. I thought that the ground was too hard and the noise too much but she informed me it was “Just Great”….. Heck, what do I know ???? Today I spent two sessions at the Internet Café and Grandma and Louise went shopping and then to the pool for the day. Not a bad life, do you think ??  Just before 5pm the rest of the family got back and we all headed up into the village above us for dinner. Mikleane had heard about this "wine bar" so that's what we went looking for. I had never heard of a wine bar before but it was really a lot of fun and a great choice. We ordered our different wines and then chose from a small selection of meats, cheeses, side dishes, and deserts. All this on paper sounds normal but it was completely different from any thing we've ever done and we look forward to doing it again somewhere...you will have to take my word for it. Just try it if you get a chance. Tomorrow….Vienna’s Opera House and….

5 July ’04. Monday. We are getting old-hand at using the local transportation systems and today was no exception. We were off to meeting the Chouinards at the Schonbrunn Palace which was the summer home of Empress Maria Teresa Hapsburg. This palace was very much like Versailles in France. As we went into the receiving courtyard there was a large sign warning all visitors of “pickpockets” in the area. Luckily we didn’t encounter any. As Louise has mentioned in her journal we were only able to see about 40 rooms and all the grounds of the Palace, but those that we did see were just incredible.

We were also able to read a lot of Elisabeth’s “Sissy” personal poems and I was really struck with them. She wasn’t a real happy person in the roll of royalty. It seems that having married at 16 set up a life that was difficult to jump into and maintain with very little personal time for herself. Her writings were very good but at the same time very sad. Her husband was a man with a lot of integrity and loved her very much but that wasn’t enough. She also had a baby die at 2 years and then her son Rudolf died of suicide at 32. From that time on she wore nothing but black except on one occasion of a wedding she wore gray. A tough life, and a person that even today is loved and admired by all Austrians. Anyway, I was impressed as to how much Lou and Drew stayed with the program and really enjoyed it. There was a break from all the audio and room traveling that gave them a little time for themselves as well.

A great “maze”… it seems that Drew was the only one to find his was out without help. He made sure that I knew he had to help his mother and grandma out or they might still be there today. Well, it seems that “Bumble Bee” will have a house guest tonight….Lil Louise is going to spend the night with us. The rest of her family are going on a train/boat adventure and she opted out to spend the night. Tomorrow….time out

Today was an exciting day. First we went to the Hapsburg family’s summer home. I was surprised how big it was. We toured 40 rooms but there were 1,200 rooms in the house. It was sort of boring but I still enjoyed it. After that we went into the gardens. It was very hot. We went to a maze and let me tell you it was HARD. Then we all went to Grandma and Grandpa’s campground. Next to their campground was a swimming pool. It really cooled use off. We had slushies and a candy bar there. That night I got to stay in Bumble Bee for a night. Drew wasn’t able to stay because he had a stomick ache. I’m ready to go to bed! I really enjoyed Prague because it really has great transportation and interesting historical sites. Some were pretty cool. I really enjoyed the underground shuttle to a wonderful ruin were they had a building with a canon ball still in the wall. I really enjoyed ate astronomical clock and the tower. Climbing the towers were fun and had great views. Changing trains has really been hard because we have to lift all our own luggage off and on . I love the gelato’s.

I love the strassitella flavor. I also enjoy having two cokes a day. I miss riding my bike and running through the sprinkler. I miss Casey and my cousins.

3 July ’04, Saturday. 23 Degree ascend and will “Bumble Bee” make it ???? Well of course !!!! Even if it was 1st gear at the half way mark….what a trouper !!!!

Yep, as we left Hallstatt heading towards our next destination of Vienna, we encountered a mountain pass that would make any car or van squeamish. We noted that we didn’t find one truck on this road…..what are they, chicken???? The rest of the trip was again one of absolute beauty. We enjoyed the mountains up close and then the closer we got to Vienna we got we enjoyed the rolling hills that we first encountered as we entered Austria. It was also interesting to find many tunnels on this trip. They measured from just a couple of minutes long to a couple that lasted at least 2 ½ to 3 miles in length. We also found the logging of their trees very interesting. It looked like they just pulled their trees over and then cut them up. This left the stump out of the ground and easy to dispose of. After the stump was disposed of they re-planted with the next crop of trees on un-cluttered land. We thought this looked like a good plan…. Our trip lasted just over 4 ½ hours and we entered Vienna. Now the trick was to find the campground. Well Louise was at her best…we drove right to it. Nice job !!! The sun was out and all we had to do was set up camp. Now that included setting up the add-on room (tent)

this time as we may be having Lou and Drew joining us for a “night over” this time. I didn’t see Louise get the stop watch out but, just in case I busted my butt to get it up in record time. We have a very nice campground this time as well. We are next door to a large swimming complex that is also having a big celebration with live music and lot’s of food. As it is, I think we will stay put and get some rest for tomorrows “Agenda in Vienna”…. Tomorrow…Vienna

2 July ’04, Friday. Hallstatt, Austria Off to the Salt mine. There are many salt mines in Austria to tour but the salt mine in Hallstat is the world’s oldest so naturally it’s a must. After a short walk through town (any walk through this town is short) we arrived at our starting point. A short ride up the steep hill in a funicular saved us a lot of time and energy. Upon departing you take a brisk walk up a well marked trail for about 15 minutes and find yourself at the visitor center where you are given a pants and a shirt.

On our tour we are joined but 30 kids on a field trip. Our guide is a nice but to the point lady in her 20’s. Dressed in her uniform (of which historical reference I have no idea) she get us organized quickly – English speaking people will stay to the back in a group – which makes it easy for her to talk to us once she is finished with the German speaking school kids. She explains the tour will take an hour and if you suffer from claustrophobia let her know. Before you can rethink, you are heading down a narrow tunnel that is 3’ wide and 6’ height.

You walk for a ¼ mile – constantly reminded of her claustrophobic comment. We arrive at a wooden slide. Our guide first speaks to the kids in German and then turns to the English speakers. She tells us to straddle the slide (like riding a horse) and lean back.

As she is speaking English, the kids start talking – she turns to them and in German tells them if they talk again she will march them out of the mine immediately. This quiets the kids for the rest of the tour (this has nothing to do with the tour but it was funny). We slid and survived. At the bottom is a video that explains the mine. 250 millions years ago most of the Alps were covered by the sea. As the water level lowered a lake formed in the valley. Over the years the lake dried leaving salt from the water. Over the next millions of years the mountains shifted and the salt became covered. Over 4500 years ago when humans arrived in the area, they followed the animals to the creeks. When they tasted the water they could taste the salt. They followed the creeks up the mountain and discovered the salt deposits. Back then there was no way to preserve meat except with salt. This made salt literally worth its weight in gold. Since then and until today people have been mining salt in the area. There’s one tunnel over 25 miles long. Our tour moves on to another slide and we are informed that toward the bottom your picture will be taken (just like the rides at Disneyland!) so you want to be sure you have your “I’m not scared” smile on as you are trying to keep you balance. The rest of the tour is about mining technology and more history of the mine. At the end you ride a little train out of the mine.

It takes a while to finish. The kids loved it but the adults probably wondered if the ride was ever going to end. Descending you can either take a nice trail back to town or the funicular. Since we had the kids and it was raining, we chose the easy way down. After lunch, Joel, Rick and the kids hopped in Bumble Bee and drove the 3 kilometers to take on a new adventure – the Giant Ice Caves.

This time we took a gondola. This ride is longer and more exciting. At the end, we get our tickets stamped for a tour and are told if we hurry we can catch the English speaking tour. Without hesitation we find the trail and start walking up a steep trail. We walk and walk and walk. Burning the equivalent calories of an hour of aerobics it takes us 15 minutes to arrive with 5 minutes to spare. We enter the cave and descend quite a bit. The cave is well lit and spacious. After a couple of moderate interesting comments from our tour guide we are deep in the cave and begin to ascend a steep staircase. After approximately 150 steps and a few turns through a narrow passage, we begin to see plenty of ice.

On a boardwalk you enter a large cavern.

1 July ’04, Thursday. Up in the morning and time to head for Hallstatt, before we left I wanted to get an interview with the Simunds children from Cle Elum, WA. They were camping with their parents at the campground. They are on a eight week tour of Europe with Mom and Dad (Kris and Steve).

I was curious of what they liked about their trip, so I asked them. Elise aged 7, said she liked Disney France, The “Rock and Roller Coaster”. The city she liked best was Venice. Adele age 8, liked Disneyland France as well, the rock and roller coaster and her favorite city was also Venice. Anna age 10, liked Venice and feeding the pigeons in San Marcos square. Also, her first gelato. Erik age 12, liked the toboggan ride in Fusel, Germany, Disneyland in France and London. This family is having quite a trip. They have rented a car and are camping in a tent throughout this whole trip. They make it look easy too. It was a pleasure meeting them. Our grand children really enjoyed the time spent playing with them and sad that they all had to go on their own way. We headed off first to the hotel to pick up Louise and Drew who were to ride with us.

Off we went through the Austrian Alps. What great scenery!! We stopped at a Rodelbahn and did some tobogganing. You ride a wheeled cart on a metal track that winds down a steep hill. It is quite thrilling.

Once was enough for me, but not for the kids. Later we stopped at a grocery store and bought food for a picnic and stopped along a alpine lake for lunch. Drew enjoyed cheese, potato chips, and peanut butter and jelly. With a coke to wash it down it was perfect in his eyes. Louise had a sausage with potato chips and coke. For dessert there was pudding cups. Great fun for all!! On to Hallstatt, winding through the mountains and a long tunnel to reach the village of 1200. It is too beautiful to describe. We settled in and went to locate Mikleane and Rick who had taken the train. Hallstatt is so small there is no train station. They stop and let people off along the tracks and a boat takes them across the lake to Hallstatt. They were staying in a pension on the lake, with great views. Tomorrow the salt mine and ice caves.

30 June ’04, Wednesday - Salzburg. This morning we awoke early for the “Sound of Music” tour. Dad decided this wasn’t his thing, so Mom picked up the bus from the campground and met us at our hotel by 9:00AM (the public transportation here is fabulous). After negotiating for just the right bus, we boarded the bus and the guide put Drew and Louise in the front row. Our flamboyant tour guide was extremely funny and kept us all entertained. The bus was probably 50% American and the rest varied from New Zealanders, Japanese, Mexican, Australian, etc. Our guide said that the only country that did not love “The Sound of Music” was Austria! A highlight of the tour was the toboggan ride.

Although petrified (Lou Lou and Mikleane), we decided to give it a try. Well, where’s the next toboggan run? We loved it! Lou Lou and Mikleane shared a toboggan and Drew and Rick each had there own.

We’ve all decided to have our own sled next time. We saw many highlights from the movie. The funniest to me was the Gazebo (remember “16 going on 17”?). In the late ‘80s they finally locked the door so tourists could no longer go inside. An 80-year-old woman fell and broke her hip while dancing and jumping from bench to bench like ‘Leisl’. That’s a true fan! In the afternoon, Rick convinced us to visit the largest beer hall in Salzburg attached to a Monastery. After hiking through all of old town and then climbing about 200 stairs we were starting to doubt his wisdom. But, he didn’t let us down. With seating for 3000 inside and 1500 outside, we found a perfect table under large trees along with all the locals. We gave the kids 5 Euros for dinner and dessert and while we nursed our beers, they headed inside to select their dinner from the many restaurants lining the hallways. They’ve grown quite confident in their pointing abilities! It’s amazing what they will do to be understood when buying candy. The highlight of the day was going home with Mom and Dad to the campground. Louise and Drew were very excited to see the Simunds

and joined the kids for a dinner of McDonalds while the adults found a great table at the campground restaurant for fabulous Wienerschnitzle and Apple Strudel. Great company and great food!

29 June ’04, Tuesday. Salzburg otherwise know as “Sound of Music”…..well not quite !!
At least in the eyes and hearts and souls of the Salzburg-ians. It may be true that most of the tourists arrive in Salzburg with the one objective…going to the places that the Sound of Music was filmed or were the Von Trapp family really had their roots set. Some hotels have the music of the movie playing in the lobbies and hallways and the same may be said of some restaurants as well. The dollars (Euro’s) are spent and spent well just because of the story and film. I wont get into the discussions that abound here about the movie and how it was made out of context but they are many. Anyway, today was set aside for the tours of the city and all it has to offer, and the Fortress Hohensalzburg. The city tour took in the Mirabell Palace, Mozarteum, County Theatre, Mozart’s Residence, church of the Holy Trinity and I could go on forever…but it only lasted about 2 hours and we all found it very good. Then in the afternoon we took in the Fortress on the hill overlooking the city. It was also quite interesting and the setting was outstanding. The structure was almost completely left untouched from WWII with exception of some broken windows. We were able to see the inside of about 10% of the fortress but that still took over an hour by it’s self. After our tour we could walk the grounds and walls for as long as we could take it and that was at least another hour. The views from there were very beautiful. I must tell you that Drew was having a little bit of a tough time at the last of our walk but once we introduced the ice cream cones things changed and all went well from there on. If I had to admit it to someone, I was with him and the ice cream helped me too…. Tomorrow….More Salzburg and “Sound Of Music”…for real, songs and everything guaranteed